Alive and Concert Pitch are deliriously upbeat confections, but a whole album in that vein could be capable of inducing dental caries at 50 paces. Thankfully, the second half finds them in more restrained--but no less winning--mood.

The guys in Empire of the Sun manage to not only catch the lightning again, but their skill at crafting perfect pop, the depth in their songs, and the emotion their voices transmit make this record better than one might have ever expected. Modern pop doesn't get any better than this.

Like all good records, it has its magpie moments too - the Justice / Daft Punk tinged one-two of ‘Celebrate’ and ‘Surround Sound’ especially effective in the current climate--but fundamentally Ice On The Dune is the definitive Empire Of The Sun album.

Harnessing a number of pop hit-making producers and mixers guarantees Ice On The Dune the requisite polish and shininess necessary for everyman's ear. On their own, however, the songs still have the relentless hooks, the danceable rhythms, the chiseled melodies, plus the mysterious lyricism that production alone cannot create. [Jun-Jul 2013, p.86]

The album is full of high-energy, highly-infectious dance numbers--in a way that demands frequently radio play, big-budget festival spots, distasteful Kesha collaborations, and another five year break between this and album #3.

The Electronic duo of Empire of the Sun just delivered a masterpiece of an album where every song is fun and catchy. 'Awakening' is probablyThe Electronic duo of Empire of the Sun just delivered a masterpiece of an album where every song is fun and catchy. 'Awakening' is probably the best song on the album and it was a bit of a surprise when the song was not promoted as a single.…Full Review »

Although the album may appear flat upon a first listen, there are songs that overall redeem it. Songs such as DNA, Alive, Awakening, I'll BeAlthough the album may appear flat upon a first listen, there are songs that overall redeem it. Songs such as DNA, Alive, Awakening, I'll Be Around and Celebrate will always have a special place in my heart. I must admit though, upon my first listen, I got bored and fed up fast. When I took a second listen 2 months later, I couldn't stop listening to this album. A very good follow-up to Walking on a Dream.…Full Review »

I remember hearing walking on a dream for the first time and being absolutely blown away. After buying the album I was slightly underwhelmedI remember hearing walking on a dream for the first time and being absolutely blown away. After buying the album I was slightly underwhelmed but still really enjoyed a lot of the tracks. This time my expectations were slightly lower but were definitely surpassed. Though there's nothing on here to quite match walking on a dream pretty much every other track is superior to their previous album. Stand out tracks for me are DNA, I'll Be Around and Old Flavours. Overall Brilliant album!…Full Review »